Overview
Kamen
Rider Blade is a show that is overall good show, well-liked by many and is in
many people’s top series for western Toku fans in that is, in japan Blade was
an FLOP, WHICH by the by now explains a reason why Bluefin distributes the
Blade Figuarts. Even what I just said is a bit more generous to the show since
not even western fans (and japan fans) talk about this show too much. I don't
know any reasons why the japan fans did not like this but the only thing that I
got was that to go on is the actors with their acting being armature (doesn’t
help that most of the actors are young and some there for looks). And also many
people brings this up about blade if you look at blade from an design point of
view it looks very bland, I mean first off there is a red and blue beetle which
was in Hurricangers 2 years ago, the gimmick for the show is cards which we got
2 years ago with Ryuki (and this is the show people started getting sick of
cards for the gimmick and there are at least 2 seasons left with cards as the
gimmick) and to wrap things up is there are more than just 2 riders with
conflicts (which again a lot like Ryuki). So if you were inserted in some kinda
new bold design Ideas for the show your out of luck. Now originally I was going
to play the toshiki inoue drinking game since well he did have a bit in writing
this show… BUT I decided not to for 2 reasons #1 he only did a hand full of
episodes like 10 max, the head writer for this show is Shō Aikawa BUT that is
saying that is like saying that you enjoy getting punch in the face more than
getting punched in the balls. You see Shō Aikawa writing style is special with
showing how all people ae bad and the worst to exists and making humanity
pretty hateful the best example of this is episodes 35 & 36 (JUST DO NOT
WATCH THEM JUST SKIP TO EPISODE 37 TRUST ME ON THIS) and making everyone an
asshole O great it is like there is no difference at all. But to be fair Aikawa
did do things like Boukenger, Gekiranger, and for Anime fans the first Full
Metal Alchemist show (more examples on his writting style just look at Bennett
The Sage review of Genocyber. And #2 MY BRAIN CELLS TO REPLENISH AFTER WHAT HAPPEN LAST
TIME I PLAYED THE DREADED DRINKING GAME! SO why don’t people talk about Blade?
How did this show flop in japan? And why did people stop very early in the show? Well time being at the peak of power for reviewing Kamen Rider Blade.
Episode 1: The Indigo Warrior
The
show begins wasting no time with introducing us to the main Rider of the show
Kazuma Kenzaki AKA Kamen rider Blade going to help the 2ndary Rider of the show
Sakuya Tachibana AKA Kamen Rider Garren, the designs for both Blade and Garren
took some time for me to get use them because the designs for both are really
plain looking and really detailed. It looks mainly plain with a plain looking
chest and everything else is just blue/ red, but there is the other color there
is a lot more detail around the arms and legs and lining on the heads
(basically they are both ok designs). Since this is a card themed show the
Riders have the type of symbol of card they have on their suite Blade is the
Spade and Garren in the Diamond design which now looking at it closer it
reminds me of the King’s Queen and Jacks Knight cards from Yugioh. When Blade
arrives and fights the monster and the camera work is horrible again and I dare
say it’s even worst then Ryuki, this time it’s more worst because it’s always
cloest and really cannot see the action, even more quick to see a thing, and
the lights are even worst then before, a good example of this is episode 8
where basically the whole show is just white from all the bright lights. Back
to the monster the monsters for this shows are called the Undeads, the Undeads
are an unique type of monsters for this show and I’m not just talking about
their design which makes them look half animal/ bug and half Gimp BDSM looking
design (have you even seen the zebra Undead and tell me that it not looks like
it could be in a gimp club) but also the Undeads fight because they want total
control of the world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W7c8QghPxk. Around 10,000
years ago there was a fight between 1 member from every single undead race all
fight each other in a what was called Battle Royal where if someone wins they
get to be the rulers of earth so say that if apes one then it would be a plant
of the Apes, I only made that reference because the show made that reference.
There are a total of 53 Undead to seal and when you get down to it this is
basically just a game of 52 pickup, whenever Kenzaki or Tachibana seal a Undead
they capture it in a card form and uses it power on their Rouzer, which let
them uses that Undeads ability rather it is them using it in their weapons or
just their fist. Another thing to note before I forget each Undead has a
category like Ace, King, Queen and that type of ordeal and the Category Ace
cards are the ones use to active the Rider gear. After the 2 Riders seal the Undead
they report back at their headquarters B.O.A.R.D. (Board of Archaeological
Research Department) which is the foundation that tracks the Undeads and also
created the Rider gear (which is why we see another Red Stag Beetle because a
lot of earlier Heisei shows were somehow related from Kamen Rider Kuuga, which
I like since Kuuga is my favorite Rider series) and also come to think of it I
think this is one of the few times that a Kamen Rider is a part of an
organization I know being a part of an organization is more Super Sentai then
Kamen Rider but still though. But do not get that much attach to B.O.A.R.D.
because latter that night B.O.A.R.D. is attacked by an Undead which pretty much
destroys the whole facility, what makes things worst is the LIGHTS, O GOD THE
LIGHT ARE EVERY WHERE AND CAN NOT SEE A THING, I’m partly kidding about that
the real problem is it looks like Tachibana is working with the Undead and
later shown taking their boss (he did not kidnaped he was saving the boss, yah
I know a bit brutal and this is not the last of his ways). When Kenzaki goes
back in and try and find any strivers he finds Shiori Hirose a worker and
friend of his, they are both out of a job and nowhere to go (soup Kiticher, NO
SILLY) well they go and live at a house Kenzaki Just meet and the guy’s name is
Shirai Kotarou.
Kotarou is a person who wants to become a famous writer and
writs about the Kamren Riders (the Kamen Riders are more open to the public
about their excites) and also we are introduce to his family that also run a café
named Haruka Kurihara his sister and her Daughter amane and living with them is
Aikawa Hajime. Hajime is special though because he is a Kamen Rider Kamen Rider
Chalice (which by the by means a large cup of alcohol) and lives there because
he killed her husband and dad and is around to protect them for making up
killing him (but latter we find out that he did not kill their father but just fighting another Undead and well accendents happen) and has the picture of his family. When
another undead appears Kenzaki goes and so does Hajime, now I get to talk about
their belts, their ok. the Blade and Garren belts are ok but they are basically
bricks just with their symbol (nothing more to say nothing less to say) but I
do like Chalice belt, it is slicker and smaller and is decently ALSO if your
wanting to get the toy belts just get Chalice belt because the others do JACK
ALL. Chalice belt if different from the others because I already told you why
(and get use to the sounds that chalice make BTW since that could would get
reuse many, many, MANY times in future Toku toys i think the one that uses it
the most is Boukenger) and somehow Chalices belt also makes his bike change as
well, TOTAL BULL and I’ll explain latter on why this is such BULL. Anyways when
both go and seal the undead and when Chalice is defeated Kenzaki offers his
hand in friendship and wants to work tougher with Chalice and seal all the
Undead. And what does Chalice do in responses? He attacks him and says Human
and undead cannot co exits and just wells on blade "♪EVERYONE'S AN ASSHOLE... NO ONE CAN BE FRIENDS
WITH ANYBODY... THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF TOSHIKI INOUE... AND HIS CRAPPY ASS
WRITTING♪". This opening was OK. there is really
nothing to go over that much I left out some stuff because it did not amount to
anything o was just some action through the show, there are still thing for
people to be inserted in like some of the carters and the fact that one of the
main riders are an monster are also one of the riders as well. So YAH it is a
bit of a lack luster opening to speak of.
Episode 7: The Trapped Two
OK
now something impotent with the show I have to bring up about this show and is
the reason on why people gave up on this show so early is because in the very
early parts of the show it is not about the main Rider Kenzaki, it is about
everyone else and then Kenzaki. This is the reason why everyone is in a sense turned
offed from the show and also why most people gave on the show the first time
watching it like me; this is my 3rd time watching Blade and the
first time I start it was in 2011 so yah I’m no better than anyone else. SO the
first arc of the show is all about Tachibana and his life with his girlfriend Sayoko
which the both of them both graduated from college recently and also his struggles
of being a rider. What do I mean by that? Well very early in the show Tachibana
is scared and while yes he is good enough to fight in the beginning he slowly
starts getting more scared of fighting and not able to fight, what makes
matters worst is also the Rider system is killing him in the inside (it is not
really killing him it is just that he is not mentally strong enough because the
system is so advance). And to help him to keep being a Rider is a man named Isaka
with his own advance corporation that is like B.O.A.R.D. but it is not
B.O.A.R.D. So Isaka helps Tachibana by putting him in a tank full of plants
shich makes him no longer scared of fighting (they also use real since to back
up on how the plants works it is just that I did not write it down and did not
have time to go back and double check what plants they are). So now Tachibana
is cured form being a cowered and can punch all the undead he wants while he declares
he is a man. HOWEVER there is just one glaring problem with this, Tachibana is under
mind control and by Isaka and he orders him Tachibana to attack Kenzaki. Another
thing about Isaka he’s an undead and can turn into a human (which is what a lot
of Undeads do in the show). Tachibana girlfriend try’s and wants him to stop
and to settle down tougher But Isaka does not want this happing so he just kills
her (eyes rolling uuuuhhh.......) and when Tachibana finds out what has happen
he is pissed off and breaks free from his control and then starts welling on Isaka
which then sealing him, and also redemption for himself and his girlfriend. I find
this arc to be fun but not all that liking since I’m not a fan of Tachibana. When
you get down to it Tachibana is an asshole don’t get me wrong the stuff about
his struggles was good and I did like that and redemption also with dead
girlfriend also liked but a thing that kinda kills it for me he is not trying
to break free or stop knowing what he is doing is bad to his friends. So yah
not all that impressive way to begin but not bad either. The most impotent
thing to remember is that Isaka compey was trying to do is to create the ultimate
Rider system.
Episode 17: The Evil Belt
The
Rider system that Isaka was making was taken away from him when Kenzaki and
their chief take it away from him while he was fighting Tachibana which I
already said Isaka lost to him. Now Isaka set this out to be the Ultimate Rider
system which it is, why? Well the category Ace monster that is associated with
the belt is still in control unlike about all the other Undeads which are all
sealed and not awake. So the category ace monster takes the belt that makes
someone Kamen Rider Leangle that is a Spider by the by sent out smaller spiders
to find the person that he shale control for his vessel and that person name is
a High school kid name Mutsuki Kamijo (HEY a High school kid that has the
powers of a Spider and better at all of his abilities sounds very similar to a Friendly
neighborhood, Amazing, Specular, Ultimate, Astonishing Super hero but forget
his name). Mutsuki is one of the BIGGEST ASS HOLES IN KAMEN RIDER, he is up on
my list like if I had to rank him he’d probably be above Micchi from Gaim (watch
the Drive V. Gaim Movie to see why he is better), but below Tiger from Ryuki,
with Kasuka being at the top forever. At first he struggles to control himself
and also when he does find himself getting controlled by the belt and wanting
to do well and protect people he still comes off as an asshole. The design of
the Leangle suite is more similar to both Blade and Garren and his suite being
the clover suite but this is more better since gold helps makes this suite pop
out more instead of the boening silver that both Blade and Garren has. Now
there is one thing to note about Leangle has with his cards that he has, his
card Remote which can make any cards that were sealed and bring them back and
also whoever uses the card can control the undead. I know you’re like "WOW
THIS IS A TOTAL GAME CHANGER” and this would be a more powerful threat and make
things a lot harder for the Riders to fight Leangle RIGHT? Well you’re
completely wrong Remote was used a total of 5 times in the whole show, WHY
INTRODUCE SOMETHING AS POWERFUL AS THAT BUT HARDLY METION IT, GOD! As more of
the show goes on the spider takes more control of him which pretty much makes
him a loner and crazy guy.
The Chief offers to go to Thailand and a way to help
and try and find the answer to both Mutsuki and also more on the Undeads, fast
forward a lot of episodes where we are introduced to a new charter Shima Noboru.
He is a friend of their chief and came to help both Blade and Garren because
both of them lost recently and it is serious because Kenzaki helmet was broken,
and as the saying goes "SHIT GET'S REAL WHEN THE HELMATE GET’S
DAMAGE" and now both Kenzaki and Tachibana both have a new form Kamen
Rider Blade King form and Kamen Rider Garren Jack form, both are similar to
their base forms but have gold on them but have acces of gold on them which should
make them more cool right kinda, they are still the same but I think I like
Garren’s more just because his face is not entirely gold un like blade is. But I
will say that it is pretty awesome that both of them can fly that is amazing
and what is even more amazing is that the wings fooled look like capes, however
the forms were used for like only 10 episodes at best . So getting back more on
Shima he is an Undead and our introduction to our category King Undeads which
are the most powerful Undeads and he also wants to help Mutsuki to stop the
darkness, and his plan is to get him sealed and that does happen but it makes
the category Ace more power to control Mutsuki and also making him a total
DICK. And from here on out he pretty
much says he is the strongest there is but he get his ass kick a lot also, and
hell in one episode he slaps his girlfriend. HUN maybe I was wrong on my spider
Man reference maybe he is more like Hank Pym Ant Man. You know where he
basically slaps his wife and ever since then no one has ever given him respect.
Blade started to get more good and bad from here. The good was the introduction
to Shima who was a good charter and wanted to help the Riders, Blade got some
more screen time to him, and it was charter getting equal charter depth. But what
dragged it was Mutsuki and well he is just a dick and not like able, but things
still hold my attrition and kept watching and it was good. When Kenzaki is
fighting a category King a new kind of threat appeasers and is a new obstacle.
Episode 35: A Dangerous Transformation!?
A
brand new type of monsters are created called Trials, Trials are made up of
both the cells of the Undead and Human cells and they stop at nothing to
capture or kill the other Riders, also did I mention that they also are a bit robotic
so think of this as Terminators. The Trials were created by Mr. Yoshito Hirose,
Hirose father and we finally learned that he was the one that released the
Undead in the world. Now you are probably thinking why did he do this, was it A)
power, B) money, or C) God complex? Well the correct answer is D) none of the above.
The real reason is because he did this for his dying wife who sadly passed away
and he was heartbroken about the whole thing so he decides to go ahead and when
he finds the Undead to release them in order to make a cure but it back fires
and it leans into the events in the first episode. This is a thing that is a
very sweet thing and a different thing also too since usually in these type of
thing it usually involve like ruling the earth, BUT doing it for another who is
just to bring your dead love one that also many people say you’re crazy to do
it and will not work is just a sweet thing. AND JUST FUCK KAMEN RIDER TAISEN, I
mean it is a very similar thing but it is better here since he dies (get to
that letter) UNLIKE in the movie where he pretty much he doomed the earth and
also he used his dead zombie kid as a power source to doom people on earth.
DAMN IT I RANTED AGAIN, so any ways to counter this when Kenzaki seals his category
King he now unlocks his final form Kamen Rider Blade King form. While most of
the blade suites have been mostly blade for a lot of them but Blade King form is
really badass and just looks glorious, it is just covered in gold but all gold
just works for it, and I love how the horns make him looks like he is a king. King
form also has the ability to use all the powers of all the cards that he has
gained (which was done 1 time not including finishers). And he has a big sword
called the King Rouzer and a finishing move called Royal Straight Flush which
is oblivious a move in playing cards.
When blade becomes King form he is able
to stop the Trials and things are much better, but it is not, it could not be
any more different INFACT I dare say it got worst. I left this out on purpose
is that Hajime is an Undead, but not any normal Undead he is the Joker Undead (I
went with that because the Dark Knight is so OVEATED IT IS NOT EVEN FUNNY AND
GOD DO I HAVE GRIM AND GEETY REBOOTS), and he starts becoming his Undead form
because of Blade getting his final form. Kenzaki starts hearing about this and learns
that he tries and get Chalice the category King card, and some help from Tachibana
chalice get his Category King card and becomes Kamen Rider Chalice Wild form.
Wild form is just not my cup of tea, I like the normal base Chalice suite but
not so much wild, I just do not like it for some reason, IDK maybe the more red
on the suite or its brighter either way I’m just not feeling this like the base
suite. We also find out that Hajime got his human form because the Human Undead
just let him be seal on purpose and instead of a badass old wizard looking dude
like Gandalf he is a pretty looking boy because it gives something the milfs
can watch while their kids have something to watch, no I’m not kidding on that. And
that is not even the only thing that has happen when Kenzaki starts using his
King form more and more it starts affecting him, you see the Absorber is only
meant for 1 undead per time not fused with more than just one, so when that
starts happening to his body is start fusing with the Undeads and he is now
becoming slowly
Another Joker. And
it is even more shown when he starts laughing like a crazy guy and enjoys hurting
people, HUN maybe I was more spot on the joker reference then I thought. And more
shockers when we found out that Hirose father has powers because (OK STAY WITH
ME ON THIS) the real Hirose die and this
is a cyborg replacement named trial B with his memories Hirose died and he
built this robot ver. of him and he sacrifice himself to protect her. So yah
that happens and the robot Ver. of Hirose father sacrifice himself to protect
her and he dies, WHY IS IT SOME TIMES THAT A ROBOT IS MORE HUMAN AND KINDER
THEN AN ACTUAL HUMAN BENIN WHO IS AN ASSHOLE, O WAIT Toshiki Inoue do these
shows -_-. So after that Muski is no
longer an evil dick because Shima plain finally worked, and also we see the
creator of the Undeads and it’s the 2001a space odyssey monolift, and also it
is not the real creator but it was just simply the monsters evolving and that monolift
is from space or something I don’t know really. So the Board of B.O.A.R.D.
comes in and shows that he has his own card which is an ace (which was a part
of the Blade movie) and then exclaims that with this card and the monolift that
he fuses with it to become the ultimate undead. And goes on and say that humans
are all chaotic and evil and must be put to rest because BLA BLA BLA I will
make the prefect paradise BLA BLA BLA I’m what humanity needs BLA BLA
BLA. Also
I want to point put something it took like for just about all 5 riders till
like almost the end of the show to have all 4 riders fight tougher at once THE
HELL MAN! So with them all working tougher they brought down the board of B.O.A.R.D.
and B.O.A.R.D. itself. The show got really good and I just binge watching it just
because it got better and better as it went on. Kenzaki started to become a
charter, the usage of final forms was used very well, and also the camera
started to become more tolerable. And so there is just 1 more Undead to seal
but O BOY is it not the last threat they have to fight.
Episode 49: The Eternal Trump
When
the 4 Riders go and to seal the final undead the final Undead all of the riders
get their asses WRECKED except for Tachibana who was late to the party but is
the only but is the only one able to fight and the fights more real when Tachibana
helmet get broken (and again Shit gets real when the helmet is broken) and then
he says (paraphrasing here) “I he lost
my lover, my justice I believe in, foundation, and pretty much everything but
SCREW IT the only one thing I do not want to lose is my friends” and then he
keeps shooting at the monster. This is PURE BADASSERY RIGHT HERE FOLKS! A man
who is broken and has lost everything is fighting for his friends for that are
the only thing he has just to protect them no matter what even if it means if
it kills him. And sadly yes that exactly what happens in the battle when Tachibana
does manage to seal him and when the other looks for him they see Tachibana
broken belt and it looks like that he is dead (he is not though Tachibana is
alive and was saved when their Chief comes back and then saves Tachibana). So now
that the last Undead is sealed that means everything should go back to normal
now but it is not you see the Joker undead just lives for nothing but anarchy
and total destruction which is what all of his clone Ver. of him do (called the
Dark Roach’s). And then the Dark Roach’s just keep coming and coming and coming
that both Blade and Leangle can no longer take it anymore and this has been
happing for days, Kenzaki has a plain but it could be one of the most riskyest
thing he has ever done. Hajime too is depress about this as well and he is sad
and wish he is sad in his living and then he cut himself and this is when you
start playing linkin park over his dialog. Kenzaki and Hajime both meet up with
each other and then they both have one final DULE. And it is a very POORLY
DIRECTED FIGHT, I mean most of the final is just like in the beginning of the
show. But the dialog between both is good with Kenzaki giving it his all and
does not to seal his friend and Hajime want Kenzaki to seal him for the greater
good of mankind. But when it was just between both of them Kenzaki plain
finally works and what was his plain? Well it was for Kenzaki to become Another
Joker and that is what happens Kenzaki is now Another Joker (STILL take this
over the nolan movies, ALSO Kevin Michael Richardson as the Joker just a very
odd and funny thing ever). So now that there are 2 Jokers the Dark Roaches then
disappear and now the monolift want the 2 to fight till one is sealed according
to the rules, and then Kenzaki punches the monolift (pretty much what happens exaclty). Hajime
then says that they will fight each other sooner or later as so said the
monolift but Kenzaki said next is we can never each other be again and
then he tell Hajima that he should go and like a good life and he will go and
live his life alone and just wondering the world the world and being forgotten
by the whole world.
And the show ends with a wrap up of and Hajima enjoying his
life with Amane and everyone else, Hajima thinks he sees Kenzaki but it is noth
him but just an illusion. And the show ends just how it began with a Kenzaki on
his bike in the sand. The
ending is just DAT ENDING is all I have to say. This ending is very bitter
sweet Kenzaki just gave up on basically his life so that another can just live
his life, and that is the Kamen Rider way you lose everything you are to become
anomies and pretty much give up on your life so that another can continue
fighting evil that there is in the world, you are meant to be a legion and let
another take your mantle when you are ready to pass down the torch. And that is
basically the end of Kenzaki and he is still missing in action and still no one
knows where he is (until the Taisen franchise happen and also since Garren is
in this year’s carp crossover film I will have something to talk about and also
fuck the Taisen franchise).
Best episode
Episode 26: Where the show start becoming better
and a lot more watchable.
Episode 49: DAT ENDING
Worst episode
Episodes 29 &30: everyone is a god damn idiot and everyone is stupid
and plot requires it to be and also I care for none of the one shot
charters, they can go die in a pit for all I care.
Kenzaki/ Kamen Rider Blade: Kenzaki does not get any
development what so ever until like almost at the end of the show. All that we
do get in the beginning he is your generic nice guy that protecting everyone
because that is his job, and when he was a kid his parents and sworn to protect
others and that is about it for Kenzaki for the development department till
almost the end. When Kenzaki does get development is just again not much (not
even really that much on his charter on the Kamen Rider Wiki). And since he is
not even a Badass like Carter Grayson from Power Rangers Lightspeed rescue (in
face he gets his ass kicked a lot in the beginning) then it is even more not
alright that he has not charter development. But his shining moment was from
him Turing into a joker and giving up his life for the sake of others and so
that another man who has always been an undead can live with humans now. And just by default that makes him my
favorite Rider, and also more reason as we go on in this list. 
Tachibana/ Kamen Rider
Garren: Tachibana is an asshole and a
bigger DUMBASS most of the beginning of the show is about. Most of his
struggles because he is scared of becoming a Rider (which I said already was
the belt itself) and also his lover who sadly die very early on. BUT here’s the
thing Tachibana is tricked by members of B.O.A.R.D. and it get old that he
keeps not learning so that just makes him really, really, really Dumb in the
process. And he always betrays his friends at the drop of the hat just to work
for B.O.A.R.D. Do you see why people
sourta stopped at the beginning of the show when it is about this guy? But hey
he get better as the show goes on he is better and he also dies offer to help Mutsuki
before he back stabs him, we will get to that soon.
